


We Are The Youth Gone Wild

by BlackUnicorn



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angry Steve Rogers, Angst, Awesome Maria Hill, Awesome Sam Wilson, Background Poly, Bisexual Clint Barton, Bisexual Pietro Maximoff, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Character Death, Cheating, Creepy Brock Rumlow, Deaf Clint Barton, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, Flashbacks, Friendship, Gay Bucky Barnes, Happy Ending, Inspired by..., Interrogation, Investigations, M/M, Mechanic Bucky Barnes, Mistakes, Misunderstandings, Murder Mystery, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Non-Serum Steve Rogers/Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes | Shrinkyclinks, POV Alternating, Police, Polyamory, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Siblings, Secrets, Teen Pregnancy, Teenagers, Truth or Dare, Underage Drinking, elite, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-08-28 21:49:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16731252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackUnicorn/pseuds/BlackUnicorn
Summary: A student dies at a party and detective Maria Hill has to uncover one secret after another to get to the bottom of what happened that fateful night. Betrayal and heartbreak but also friendship and young love come to light as each witness tells their story.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So...I was binge-watching Elite - amazing show by the way, if you haven't seen it, you really should - and my brain went places and then this happened. You don't have to know the show to read this...since it's nothing like it.
> 
> I renamed a few characters...  
> Natasha is Fury's daughter in this.  
> Clint is Coulson's son.  
> And Brock is Pierce's son.  
> So...you know? Don't be confused by the last names...
> 
> Thank you and enjoy!

“My name is detective Maria Hill. I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

The young man before her gave a curt nod, his eyes fixed on his hands on the table.

“Bucky – is it okay if I call you Bucky?”

Another nod.

“Bucky. I understand you’re not a student at Shield Academy?”

Bucky shook his head, still nod meeting Marias’s eyes.

“But you went to the 107th High School?”

Bucky nodded

“The one that collapsed.”

Bucky nodded again.

“You hurt your arm then.” Her eyes travelled to the exposed limb in question, covered in scars, stiff and ugly. “Why didn’t you accept the scholarship they offered you?”

“Didn’ need it,” Bucky muttered, his voice was rough and low. Gravelly.

“Because you have a job.”

“Yeah.”

“Was there another reason?”

“Steve.”

“Who is Steve?”

“Boyfriend.”

“Steven Rogers?” Maria asked, recalling the name from her files. “He received your scholarship, didn’t he?”

“Deserved it more ‘an me.”

“Why is that?” Maria asked, trying to break the ice, trying to get some sort of information out of the brunet.

“Smart,” Bucky grumbled, “He’s going places. Me? I’m just a mechanic.”

“A mechanic who has custody of his sister. Rebecca.”

Bucky nodded once more and finally, _finally_ , raised his head to meet Maria’s gaze, his eyes deep blue and piercing.

“Why don’t you tell me what happened?” Maria requested, “Start from the beginning?”

There was a long moment of silence and Maria almost expected Bucky to refuse – before he took a deep breath, ran his fingers through his long hair, and started talking.

“A few months ago,” he began, “The school collapsed, I nearly lost my arm, they offered me a grant, I refused. Steve got it then. He was real excited. Shield Academy’s always been his dream but he could never afford it. He didn’t know he got my place. Woulda never accepted it…I made a deal with the principal. Fury. Told him to give Steve my place and I’d resign any claims I mighta had on any kinda money. He accepted. Guess he was glad he didn’t have ta deal with a guy like me –

 

_“Well, look at you,” Bucky whistled when he saw Steve coming out of their bedroom, dressed in his new school uniform._

_“Piss off,” Steve said, his cheeks turning a deep shade of red and Bucky laughed. It was the day before the first day of school and Steve hadn’t shut up about it for weeks._

_Shield Academy – the elite of the elite._

_“I’m serious, punk, you look real preppy. Regular goody-two-shoes. American apple pie. The epitome of wholesome. The definition of –”_

_“All right, all right, I got it,” Steve interrupted him, his face doing the splits between amused and annoyed, “I look ridiculous.”_

_“You look hot,” Bucky countered, every trace of mocking gone from his voice as he slowly approached his boyfriend, “And you’re gonna show all them rich kids that money ain’t everything.”_

_“Would be nice to have it though,” Steve muttered under his breath._

_“Hey.” Bucky’s fingers gently touched Steve’s chin and pushed up so their eyes could meet. “We’re doing fine, okay? I got my job. You got your paintings. Dad still has to pay child support for Becs…so don’t you worry about a thing, okay doll? You just make sure to be the genius I know you are.”_

_“Ain’t no genius, Buck.”_

_“I disagree.” Slowly, Bucky slung his arms around Steve’s slender body and pulled him even closer, leaving no room for air between them as he pressed his lips to Steve’s. “You are the smartest.” Kiss. “Prettiest.” Kiss. “And most dedicated person I know.”_

_Steve’s face morphed into a grin, his eyes shining with mischief, “Flattery won’t get you anywhere, Mister Barnes.”_

_“Ain’t flattery if it’s true.”_

_“You are the worst,” Steve muttered against Bucky’s lips._

_“Hmm, but you love it.”_

_“I love you.”_

_They closed the gap once more, got lost in the feeling of skin against skin, tongue against tongue, Bucky’s fingers in Steve’s hair._

_“Eugh, Get a room!” A familiar voice came from somewhere behind Bucky and the brunet pulled back, chuckling._

_“Be nice to your brother, Becca,” Steve warned her but his words kind of lost their effect with the amount of affection in his voice and the fact that he was still pressed against Bucky._

_“Whatever,” the teenager muttered and with a sigh, Bucky let go of Steve to turn around._

_Becca was 15 and in the prime of her puberty – her clothes were far too revealing for Bucky’s taste, she was practically glued to her phone, and just last week he had caught her stealing some of his cigarettes. Despite that though, she was the best things to ever happen to Bucky’s life. Her and Steve. Ever since their mum had died eight years ago, Bucky had practically taken over the role of parent since their dad…well…George Barnes wasn’t exactly the fatherly type and if you asked Bucky, they were better off without him._

_“What’s for dinner?” Becca asked and jumped up onto the kitchen counter, grabbing Bucky’s cigarettes and Bucky quickly walked over to her to take them away again._

_“Nothin’ if you keep being a little bitch,” he said and lighted a cig of his own before storing the pack in the pocket of his jeans, ignoring Becca’s glare. He opened the window and blew out the smoke. “Steve?”_

_“I’m thinking Mac and Cheese?” Steve asked hopefully._

_“I second that,” Becca commented._

_“Course you do,” Bucky muttered around the cig between his lips, “Fine. But we’ll have a salad with that. You two need to get somethin’ healthy into you.”_

_“Says the guy with a cancer stick in his mouth.”_

_Bucky whipped around, pointing his finger at his sister. “You know what…” But his words went under in a wholehearted laugh and he completely forgot what he had been about to say anyway…it wasn’t often that Becca laughed like that. So careless. They’d had a tough life and while Bucky might have been lucky enough to be older when everything had gone to shit, Becca had been less fortunate and it showed._

_It also showed that Bucky was a utter and complete sap, judging by the look Steve was giving him._

_“Fuck’s sake,” Bucky grumbled, trying to keep as much dignity as possible, and started assembling their dinner._

 

“So you’re close to your sister?” Maria dug deeper.

“Obviously,” Bucky deadpanned, “Everything that kid knows, she knows from me. Dad’s a fucking bastard and I’m glad he’s behind bars.”

“And Steve?”

Bucky’s hands began to fidget on the table and he lowered his eyes again. “Steve’s ma died last year. He moved in with us. Hit him hard, y’know? He hasn’t got anyone else.”

“How long have you been together?”

“Officially? Four years.”

“And unofficially?”

“Listen sister, I’ve loved that kid before I even knew what love was. I’d do anything for him.”

“Even kill for him?” Maria countered even though she knew better. As expected, Bucky’s face closed off completely as he scowled at her, “I didn’t kill anyone,” he said, his eyes and voice hard and cold.

For some reason, Maria really wanted to believe him.


	2. Chapter 2

“Wanda Maximoff? I’m Maria Hill, investigating detective in this case.”

“Hello,” Wanda said, her eyes fearful and never leaving the policewoman.

“Can I offer you something to drink? Water or tea?”

“I’m fine, thank you,” Wanda declined, her voice thick with some Eastern European accent.

“Okay.” Maria nodded, telegraphing her movements as she slowly sat down as to not scare the girl. “Wanda. You were at the party, weren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re one of the three students that received a grant to attend Shield Academy.”

Wanda nodded, “Yes,” she said, “My brother Pietro, Steve, and I got scholarships.”

“And have you found many friends at Shield?”

“A few.” Wanda shrugged. “Pietro is better in finding friends that I.”

“Why don’t you tell me about the school a bit? About how you and your brother settled in?”

“Ehm…Our old school collapsed, so we had to be distributed between the other schools in the area. Our parents are very proud that we managed to get into Shied Academy because it will give us an opportunity. They came to America about 20 years ago? And they want us to have a better life. A rich life…” 

 

_Wanda was nervous._

_Ever since she’d been a child, it had been Pietro who had been the loud one, the popular one. Confident and outgoing. Sometimes people were surprised to learn that they were twins, and Wanda couldn’t blame them…on first sight, they were quite different, she supposed. And while Pietro had made friends as easy as he had breathed, Wanda had tagged along and it had never been a problem. Until now. Now they were at this posh school and she knew that if she started hiding behind her brother, she would paint a target on her back, be seen as weak…and Wanda might be many things, but weak had never been one of them._

_“Holy shit,” Pietro breathed as they approached Shield Academy._

_Holy shit, indeed._

_Their new school was a highly modern building with large glass facades and sleek steel pillars, the path outside looked as if it was made from white marble, and everyone around them was so obviously rich that Wanda immediately felt uncomfortable and out of place._

_She could practically feel the other students looking at them. Judging them._

Maybe this was a bad idea _, she though,_ how am I ever going to fit in here?

Stupid _, she chided herself,_ I’m not here to fit in. I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to finish school. I’m here so I can go to college _._

_Because the thing was that their family would never have the money to afford a good education that could get her out of their current neighbourhood. Because the thing was that she needed this scholarship to get somewhere in her life that wasn’t the counter of their parents convenience store._

_There was a shift in the atmosphere and the general attention was directed away from them, towards a beat-up truck that might have been black once upon a time but was now covered in dust and dirt and dents. More than one person wrinkled their nose as the passenger door was opened and a small boy with short, blond hair jumped out._

_“Hey, isn’t that the guy from our school?” Pietro whispered into her ear, “Steve or something?”_

_Wanda nodded,_ yes _, that was Steve Rogers._

_The guy in question turned around to say something to the driver before shaking his head with a laugh and shutting the door, flipping the guy behind the wheel off as he drove away._

_Steve Rogers had been somewhat of a celebrity at their old school. Everyone had known him or at least known of him. It had been hard not to when he had gotten into fist fights every other day while also keeping his place as best of the year and with an overprotective, good-for-nothing boyfriend._

_Completely ignoring the dirty looks he received, Steve walked up to Wanda and Pietro._

_“Hey.”_

_“Hey yourself,” Pietro greeted him back while Wanda only smiled. She didn’t really know Steve but what she had seen of him, she liked. Steve was kind and passionate and his heart was in the right place._

_“Weird, right?” Steve asked, nodding towards the school behind them, “You can practically smell the money.”_

_“It’s not a bad smell,” Pietro joked and Steve chuckled._

_“That it is not,” he admitted, “Shall we?”_

_Together, they went inside, always followed by watchful eyes from the people around them._

 

“Was it hard for you to adjust?” Maria asked gently.

“At first, yes,” Wanda confessed, “Everyone was suspicious of us. They kept their distance. Some were very rude, saying that we didn’t deserve to be there.”

“Can you tell me who that was?”

“Well, Tony Stark, for one. He and Steve got into a fight on that first day. Brock Pierce and Jack Rollins hated us. Still do, I think…”

“What was the fight between Tony and Steve about?”

 

_“Oi! Rogers!”_

_Wanda, Pietro and Steve all turned around at the shouting, as did everyone else around them._

_“Rogers!”_

_It was just after their last period and everyone was on their way outside when Tony Stark stormed through the doors towards them._

_“Stark,” Steve replied curtly. Wanda could see the tense line of his shoulders and the way his hands balled into fists._

_“So you know I am?” Stark asked, his voice filled with something Wanda couldn’t quite identify. A kind of animosity. Rivalry._

_“Everyone knows who you are, Stark. It’s hard not to.”_

_By now there was small crowd assembled around them. Watching. Waiting._

_Wanda recognized a view people from their class, there was Natasha Fury, the daughter of the principal, her boyfriend Clint, there were Sharon and Peggy Carter the granddaughters of the founder of Shield Academy, there was Brock Pierce, son of one of the sponsors of the school and owner of the biggest building company of the city._

_“And you know who my father is,” Stark went on._

_Howard Stark, owner of Stark Industries, another sponsor of the school._

_Wanda frowned, not sure where this was going and even less sure whether she wanted to find out._

_“Yes,” Steve snapped, “I know who your father is. What’s your point, Stark?”_

_“You had a good weekend, then?” Stark suddenly asked._

_“What?”_

_“Did anything exciting? A bit of light protesting here, a bit of latent vandalism there?”_

_“What?” Steve asked again, sounding thoroughly confused._

_“I know what you did, Rogers,” Stark hissed, stepping closer to Steve while Steve squared his shoulders, “I might not be able to prove it but you’ve been at the top of the protests against my father since day one, and surprise, surprise! Yesterday someone left a message for him, written in pig’s blood.” Steve made a sound, like choked off laugher and Stark narrowed his eyes dangerously. “You think that’s funny?”_

_“I think it’s fitting,” Steve shot back, “After all, your father is responsible for so much bleeding. And like you said, you can’t prove anything. So if you don’t mind, I have places to be. And who knows, maybe I’ll go, pick up some more pig’s blood.” And with those words, Steve whipped around and walked away, Stark close on his heels._

_“You think you’re so tough, don’t you?” he yelled after the blond, “Well let me break it you, you’re not! There’s nothing special about you, Rogers. You’re just another poor guy at end of the food chain. The runt of the litter. A nobody.”_

 

“What happened then?”

“Steve’s boyfriend was there,” Wanda answered.

“Bucky?” Maria asked and Wanda nodded in confirmation, “And what did Bucky do?”

 

_“I’d take that back if I were you?” A good few people jumped at the coldness of the voice and quickly moved away as a tall guy with long, dark hair stepped forward. Wanda distantly recognized him as Bucky Barnes, Steve’s boyfriend, and if looks could kill, Stark would have dropped dead right then and there._

_“Buck,” Steve tried to cut in but Bucky ignored him._

_“Who the hell are you?” Stark asked, looking up at the other man who towered over him, big and intimidating._

_“Someone who doesn’t appreciate the way you speak.”_

_“Oh yeah? I don’t appreciate the way you look, but do you see me complaining?” Stark retorted._

_Bucky stepped even closer, his hand closing around the front of Stark’s shirt, pulling him forward, “You listen to me, Stark, you can insult me all you want but I hear you speaking to or about Steve that way again, pig’s blood will be the least of your worries.”_

_Wanda felt a shiver run down her spine at those words, at the undeniable truth behind them. She’d heard of the things Bucky would do for Steve, to keep him safe, keep him happy._

_“Is that a threat?”_

_“Oh, you bet it is.”_

 

“What did you hear about the things Bucky would do for Steve?” Maria asked.

“There was a guy in our school. Gilmore Hodge. He used to bully Steve. One day Bucky heard about it and we never saw Gilmore again.”

“Thank you, Wanda.”


	3. Chapter 3

“I’m not saying anything without my lawyer,” were the first words out of Tony Stark’s mouth the second Maria had entered  the interrogation room.

Now, half an hour later, she re-entered the room, armed with a file and a two cups of coffee.

“Mr. Stark –”

“Please, do call me Tony,” the teenager in front of her said with a wink.

“Tony,” Maria conceded, taking a sip from her coffee and considering the boy. Tony Stark was well known in the city. Not only for being the son of Howard Stark but also for being a genius himself. “Tony, we have several eyewitnesses, telling us that you and Steve Rogers had a fight a few months back.”

“Did we?” Tony asked, seeming genuinely surprised for a second.

“Something about pig’s blood.”

“Ahh! Yes…that happened.”

“And yet, you invited him to your party.”

“We became friends afterwards,” Tony explained nonchalantly.

“So it was not Steve who vandalised your father’s property?”

“Don’t know. Don’t care,” Tony answered dismissively and drank from his own cup of coffee.

“You seemed to care a great deal then.”

“Yeah, well…things change,” Tony answered quietly, almost bitterly.

“And how’s that?”

Tony met her gaze, holding it, before taking a deep breath.

 

_It was a Friday and like every Friday Tony and his friends were sitting in the spacious living room of Stark Manor, drinking wine, because, like every Friday, Maria and Howard Stark were out doing god knows what._

_It was tradition._

_“I don’t get it,” Clint said after another rant from Tony about the Rogers kid, “Why do you care so much? You hate your father.”_

_“Okay, first of all,” Tony started, lowering his wine glass, “I don’t hate him. I severely dislike him. There’s a difference. Secondly, it’s a matter of principle. Who the hell does he think he is? Coming into our school and acting like he’s better than everyone? Doesn’t he know that my father is one of the reasons why he even got that scholarship?”_

_“Your father is also one of the reasons why he needed it in the first place,” Peggy reminded him._

_“No,” Tony disagreed, “That was on Hydra and Hydra belongs to Pierce. My father is merely an investor. It’s not like he build the damn school.” Tony emptied his glass and reached for the bottle._

_“Tony,” Pepper sat down next to him, taking the wine and setting it out of his reach, “You need to let this go. No one can prove it was Steve who left that message.”_

_“He practically admitted it!” Tony all but shouted, “And if it wasn’t him, it sure as hell was Tall, Dark, And In Need Of A Haircut.”_

_“That’s his boyfriend,” Peggy said._

_“How do_ you _know?”_

_“I talked to Steve. It’s what you do to people you don’t know.”_

_Tony scoffed, “Why would you do that?”_

_“I think he’s cute,” Sharon supplied unhelpfully._

_“He looks like a stiff breeze could knock him over,” Tony said and both Peggy and Sharon looked at him rather unimpressed. “Oh, come on! Just because he’s got that whole boy scout look going for him?”_

_The Carter sister’s shrugged._

_Pepper gave him a the Look._

_Clint looked slightly bored._

_And Banner –_

_“Et tu, Bruce?” Tony clutched his heart and pouted at his best friend._

_“I’m staying out of this,” Bruce muttered._

Traitor _, Tony thought._

_“I have to agree with Tony,” Natasha spoke up. She was stretched out on one of the sofas, looking both beautiful and deadly, in one hand she was lazily holding her wine glass, in the other her phone which held her attention._

_“_ Thank you _.”_

_Natasha didn’t even look at him, simply kept typing. “That boy is trouble,” she said, “Doesn’t hesitate to start a fight. He’s got connections, too. Mostly to socialists and small criminals.”_

_When it came to Natasha, Tony had stopped asking questions a long time ago. She knew things, it was scary, and he had resigned himself to never, ever, crossing her. Period._

_“There you go, then,” Tony said, happy that at least one of his friends was on his side. Ignoring his girlfriend’s scowl, Tony leaned over Pepper and grabbed the wine bottle, not even bothering with his glass as he started drinking again._

“That doesn’t sound like the start of a friendship,” Maria remarked and Tony shrugged, muttering something unintelligible under his breath. “When did you decide to become Steve’s friend?”

“I didn’t decide anything,” Tony answered, “That just kind of happened.”

 

_It wasn’t until few weeks later that Tony noticed._

_It was another Friday and as tradition had it they were all supposed to be there. Except they weren’t. The only people currently lounging on the couches were Pepper, Bruce, and Tony himself._

_“Where is everyone?” Tony asked no one in particular._

_“Natasha said there’s a party,” Bruce muttered, his eyes glued to a book on quantum physics._

_“A party?” Tony exclaimed, “What party? Why did I not now about this? And more importantly, why am I not there?”_

_“Steve’s hosting it.”_

Oh.

_“Oh.”_

 

“You crashed the party?”

“Of course I did.”

 

_The party was in one of those corners of the city that you were better off staying as far away from as possible unless you knew someone who lived there, and Tony had to admit that he felt a wee bit uncomfortable as he, Pepper, and Bruce, who he had simply forced to come with,, went down the street towards a run-down building that was supposedly the home of one Steven Grant Rogers._

_The party itself? So not what Tony had expected._

_There were about 15 people in the apartment. An apartment which was about the size of Tony’s bedroom. An apartment filled with music and laugher and dim lights and thick smoke._

_He could see Steve, sitting on his boyfriend’s lap, sharing a joint on the sofa and talking to the twins._

_He could see Peggy with a group of older guys and some girl, playing poker._

_He could see Clint and Natasha making out in a dark corner of the kitchen._

_He could see Sam talking to a girl that was way too young for the beer and cigarette she was holding._

_He could –_

_“The fuck are you doing here?” Steve’s boyfriend practically growled at him and shit, when had he moved? Tony could have sworn that the guy had sat on the couch just seconds ago and –_

_“Leave it, Buck,” Steve’s voice broke through his train of thoughts, “’s not worth it.”_

_“We come in peace,” Tony quickly said._

_“You come uninvited.” Steve’s small frame joined ‘Buck’s’ broad one and Tony wondered what kind of name ‘Buck’ was… It was clear that Steve was at least a little bit high…or drunk…or both…probably both – his eyes were unfocused, his speech slurred, and he was swaying lightly on his feet. Despite his previous words though, Steve simply pressed a beer into Tony’s hand and turned around, walking into kitchen, past Natasha and Clint who looked like they were seriously considering public sex._

_“One wrong move…” ‘Buck’ grumbled and followed his boyfriend._

_The poker party had ended and the guys, all slightly older and about as scruffy as Steve’s boyfriend, were eyeing the newcomers suspiciously, while Peggy was engrossed in a conversation with the girl; she was pretty, Tony noted, with brown-ish hair and a bright smile._

_“So you’re him, then. The Antichrist.”_

_Tony nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice. The young girl he’d seen talking to Wilson earlier was now standing next to him, her blue eyes clear and intensive._

_“Excuse me?”_

_“The son of the devil,” the girl elaborated, though not really helpfully._

_Tony couldn’t help it, he chuckled. “Is that what they call me?”_

_“It might have come up.” The girl smirked and there was something familiar about that smirk, something he’d seen before…_

_“And you are?”_

_“Rebecca Barnes.”_

_One of the guys that had been watching him came over, his shoulders broad and his face covered by a moustache, “He bothering you, Becs?” he asked, lying a protective hand on Rebecca’s shoulder, but the girl didn’t seem intimidated by the looming presence of the older guy._

_“_ You’re _bothering me, Dugan,” she shot back, her voice losing all the smoothness it had had just seconds ago._

_The guy, Dugan, raised his hands in a surrendering fashion and took a step back, “Hey, I’m just doing my job. Your brother’d kill me if anything happened to ya.”_

_“He’d also kill you if he ever found out who keeps buying me booze and smokes,” her voice sweet as sugar but her eyes gleaming dangerously and Dugan placed visibly. “Scram.” He did._

Huh…I like her

 

“That still doesn’t explain why you invited Steve to your party.”

“Yes, yes, I’m getting there.”

 

_The next Monday was kind of…awkward. Tony had no idea what the social protocol was here. He’d crashed a guy’s party, eaten his food, drunken his beer, and gotten into a pretty passionate discussion about Einstein’s theory of relativity with the boyfriend’s sister. It didn’t make them friends, but it didn’t make them not-friends either._

_The others, he saw, had less hang ups about the whole thing. Wilson followed the blond around like a lost puppy, Clint laughed loudly and excessively at the guy’s jokes, he could have sworn he’d seen Natasha crack a smile during lunch break, Peggy had signed up for a project with Steve for French class, and Sharon was so obviously crushing on Steve that Tony was beginning to worry about her kind of-but not really-on again-off again boyfriend/fuckbuddy Brock Pierce who was_ coming right towards us, Jesus fucking Christ, he looks pissed and I really wish Sharon would just ditch him already and –

_“Rogers.”_

_The blond in question was standing with his back to Brock and sighed, a full on, eyes-closed, from-the-bottom-of-my-soul,_ Sigh _, before he turned around, squaring his tiny shoulders._

_“Yes?”_

_“Heard you invited my girlfriend to a party last Friday,” Brock said, his voice low and dangerous._

_“I don’t know, did I? Who’s your girlfriend?” Steve replied, not seeming in the least bit intimidated._

_“You fucking know who I’m talking about, you fucking queer,” Brock hissed, invading Steve’s space as he loomed over him, “Stay away from my girl.”_

_“I think your girlfriend can decide for herself who she wants to hang out with, don’t you? You don’t own her.”_

_That was when Sharon and Peggy rounded the corner, both freezing in place at the scene before them._

_“What are you doing, Brock?” Sharon asked after she’d caught herself, stepping next to Steve._

_“Just giving a word of warning to Rogers here.”_

_“Why?”_

_“I don’t like you spending time with him,” Brock said, turning towards Sharon, who let out a sound of disbelief._

_“Excuse me?” she said, “I can spent time with whoever I want!”_

_There was a moment of stillness, like the calm before the storm, before several things happened at once._

_Brock’s face morphed into a grimace of pure fury and he grabbed Sharon’s arm._

_Sharon yelped and stumbled forward, obviously not expecting the outburst of violence._

_Steve let out a shout and all but tackled Brock._

_Peggy gasped and rushed forward._

_And Tony? Tony suddenly found himself between Steve and Brock, blocking the fist meant for Steve’s face with his nose._

Hell’s Bells _, he thought as he stumbled backwards, his ears ringing loudly._

_Distantly, he noticed Peggy storming past him, tall and righteous and strong. He saw Brock wincing in pain as both Carter sister’s folded him like fucking toilet paper. And he felt a gentle hand on his face, a calming voice in his ear, a pair of blue eyes looking at him._

_“Are you okay?” Steve asked._

_Tony nodded._

_“You didn’t have to do that.”_

_Tony shrugged._

_“Maybe you’re not so bad after all.”_

_Tony smiled._

_It hurt._

 

“And _that’s_ how it happened.”


	4. Chapter 4

“You came to the city quite recently didn’t you, Sam?”

“Kind of,” Sam Wilson answered, running a hand over his face, “We used to live in D.C., then mum got a job here, so we moved.”

“When was this?”

“Well…about…two years ago?”

“And how did you get involved with Tony Stark and his friends? What’s your relationship to them?”

“I’m not really part of the group,” Sam answered, “Mostly just Natasha, Clint and Sharon.”

“And why is that?”

“Well…Natasha and Clint decided they wanted me as their friend. No idea why. And Sharon and I got talking in Calculus…she’s better than me so she helped me out quite a bit and we got along.”

“And what happened during the last few months? Did anything change? Anything out of the regular?”

Sam frowned. “Yeah actually…” he seemed to be considering his words, “I mean…apart from the obvious, with Steve, Wanda and Pietro coming to school…there was a lot of tension lately…Natasha and Clint fought, which they never do…at least not openly. And I saw Sharon have an argument with Clint about something. Wanda was pissed at her brother. And there was something going on between Steve, Peggy and Sharon…” he trailed off, brown eyes unfocused as he tried to recall past events.

“Did people have a problem with Steve, Wanda and Pietro?” Maria asked, pulling Sam back into reality.

“Kind of?” Sam answered, “I mean…Steve’s not exactly from a rich family, y’know…neither are Wanda and Pietro. Some people didn’t like that. Tony was being a dick at first but he got over it. Natasha was suspicious but she’s that way with everyone, and Brock and Jack…well…”

“What about them?”

“They’re not really part of the group,” Sam explained, “Brock’s got this thing with Sharon where they have sex and then don’t talk for a week. He’s being an asshole about it too, always getting jealous when he sees Sharon with someone else. Jack’s his best friend or something, I don’t know. Never really talked to them.”

“And yet you got into a fight with Brock Pierce not so long ago, did you not?”

“Ahh…” Sam winced slightly, “Yeah…”

“How did that happen?”

Shifting in his seat, Sam averted his eyes, “I – er – I went on a date with Sharon. He didn’t like that.”

“Sharon Carter?”

“Yes.”

“Sam, tell me what happened.”

“Well…we went to this diner. One of Steve’s friends, Angie, she works there…”

 

_“Hey,” Angie appeared at their table with a disarming smile and two menus, “Sam, right? And Sharon?”_

_“That’s right,” Sam answered, taking the menus from her, “Good to see you again.”_

_“You too. Can I get you something to drink?”_

_“I’ll have a coke, please,” Sharon answered._

_“Me too.”_

_“Two cokes coming right up.” The girl vanished towards the kitchen, leaving Sam and Sharon on their own._

_“This is nice,” Sharon remarked, tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear._

_“It is,” Sam agreed. And it was. It was comfortable. Homey. With dim lights and old-school rock music playing in the background._

_Their cokes arrived and they each ordered a burger and fries, talking about school and Sam’s sisters and Tony’s latest antics._

_It was relaxed. Easy-going. Sharon was a beautiful girl, strong minded and not afraid to stand up for herself, who had noticed Sam staring at her and straight out asked if he ever planned on doing something about his crush. He wanted to treat her right. The romantic in Sam was already planning possible future dates…the cinema maybe, as cliché as it was. A concert of Sharon’s favourite band which he knew was coming up soon._

_“Y’know…” he began tentatively, not sure if it was appropriate to ask, “You never told me why you live with your grandma…”_

_Sharon smiled, averting her gave slightly and picking up a fry, dipping it into the ketchup, before answering, “Our parents died when we were still young. I don’t even really remember them. Just a feeling, you know? Like security. Warmth. Home. Granny took us in. I think she couldn’t bear the thought of her grandkids growing up in a home like she did.” She was still smiling when she looked back up, right at Sam. “She’s the only family we have left.”_

_They moved on to other topics. Talked about the upcoming summer, the exams, college._

_“I want to go into law enforcement,” Sharon told him, “Make the world a better place. What about you?”_

_“I’m not sure yet…I’m thinking of maybe joining the army, like my dad did.”_

_“That’s admirable,” Sharon said and Sam could see that she meant it. “I’ve never done this before, you know? Gone on a proper date. Brock only ever comes crawling back when he wants to get off.”_

_It took all of his self-control not to grimace at the mention of Brock. “You deserve better,” he told her and Sharon smiled. It was both happy and sad._

_“I know,” she muttered, taking Sam’s hand._

_“This is gonna be really cheesy, but…d’you want to share a milkshake?” Sam asked, feeling brave. He knew he’d said the right thing when Sharon giggled and nodded her head. “Strawberry?”_

_“You know it.”_

_They drank their milkshake, holding hands and both blushing heavily._

_It was perfect._

_“I’ll get the check,” Sam told her._

_“Only if I can pay next time.”_

_“So there’ll be a next time?”_

_“I sure hope so,” Sharon replied and for the first time all evening she actually seemed nervous._

_“I’d love to,” Sam breathed._

_“Perfect,” the blonde beamed at him, “I’ll just go to the bathroom real quick.”_

_Sam waited patiently for Sharon to come back, taking a few deep breaths. His heart was beating a fast rhythm in his chest and the world around him seemed just a little bit brighter than usual._

_A loud bang from across the room made him jump and he frowned as Sharon came storming towards him._

_“You okay?” he asked._

_“Peachy. Let’s go.”_

_Sharon was already half out of the door when Sam’s brain caught up with what was going on. He turned around one last time to look at the door and saw Peggy standing there, pale and wide-eyed, looking as if she was about to cry._

_“Sharon!” he called out when he’d finally followed her outside, “Wait up.” Fortunately, she did. “What happened? Talk to me, Sharon.”_

_Sharon turned towards him, taking a deep breath and running her fingers through her hair, “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” she replied with a smile, “Walk me home?”_

_Sam considered her for a moment but it seemed clear that she didn’t want to talk about it, whatever it was, and he wasn’t about to pry._

_“M’Lady.”_

 

 “And do you know why she was upset?” Maria asked.

Sam shook his head. “No idea,” he answered, “And I never asked but…they were sisters, y’know? Hell, I get into fights with my sisters almost every day…”

Maria nodded, making a mental note to look into that night a little further.

“What then?” she asked, “You walked her home.”

“I did..."

 

_“I meant what I said earlier,” Sharon all but whispered when they had arrived at her house, “I’d love there to be a next time.”_

_“Good, because I want that too,” Sam told her, feeling nervous again, “I also really want to kiss you right now.”_

_“What are you waiting for then?”_

_So he did. Sam had kissed other people before…maybe not a lot, but enough to compare, and Sharon was by far the best kiss he’d ever shared with anyone. It wasn’t like in the movies, with fireworks going off in his brain, but there was something there…something almost tangible…a feeling deep inside him –_

_“Sharon?”_

_They practically jumped apart as a dark figure emerged from the shadows._

_“Brock?”_

_It was indeed Brock. He was wearing a black hoodie which covered most of his face but Sam could feel the murderous glare Brock was giving him._

_“What are you doing here?” Sharon asked, clearly annoyed._

_“I could ask you the same thing. I called you. You didn’t answer.”_

_“I was on a date,” Sharon snapped, stepping towards him, upright and angry. “Go home, Brock.”_

_But Brock didn’t pay any attention to her, instead he pointed a finger at Sam and said, “You stay away from my Sharon.”_

_Sam opened his mouth to reply something, to tell this asshole to back off, but Sharon was quicker._

_“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” she exclaimed, “You don’t get to tell me what to do, Brock! If I want to go on dates, I will bloody well do that, and you don’t get a say in the matter. Now leave, before I call the cops.”_

_It was then the front door of the house opened and an elderly woman stepped outside, frowning, “Sharon? What’s going on?”_

_“It’s alright, gran,” Sharon called out, “Brock was just leaving.”_

_Apparently not seeing any other option, Brock spat onto the floor and turned around, vanishing into the darkness of the night._

_“You must be Sam,” Sharon’s grandma said, stepping forward, “Sharon told me about you.”_

_Sam froze slightly, “She did?”_

_Instead of an answer, Margret Carter simply winked at him and walked back into the house._

_“Sorry about that,” Sharon muttered._

_“Not your fault,” Sam said, “But I should be getting home as well.”_

_“Yeah, of course.”_

_“See you tomorrow at school?”_

_“See you tomorrow.”_

_With one last quick peck to Sharon’s lips, Sam turned around and walked down the driveway to get home. He felt like flying, his lips curled into a bright smile and he couldn’t have stopped if he had tried._

_He should have known better._

 

“Brock waited for you?” Maria clarified.

“He did,” Sam confirmed, his lips pressed into a thin line, “I was lucky, I guess. Squad car came by, saw us and broke it up.”

“Thank you, Sam.”


	5. Chapter 5

Clint Coulson was nervously bouncing his knee when Maria entered the interrogation room which immediately got her attention. She also noticed the hearing aid and the scratches and scars all over his face and arms.

“My name is Detective Maria Hill. Do you need an interpreter or are we good to speak like this?”

“No. I mean, yes. I mean, we’re good.”

“Clint…” she began and sat down, “One of your friends told me that you had an argument with Sharon Carter not so long ago. What did you argue about, Clint?”

The boy’s eyes grew wide and his cheeks flushed red as he stuttered, “Well…I mean…it wasn’t…” He blinked. Once. Twice. Took a deep breath, and started anew, “Sharon saw something and jumped to the wrong conclusions…”

 

_It was a few days after Steve’s party…it had been a good party, albeit a bit blurry after that fifth shot of Tequila..._

_Anyway…it was a few days after Steve’s party, and Steve was actually pretty sound, Clint had to admit, so were the twins, especially Pietro, even though he would never –_

_“Pay attention, Clint.”_

_He had walked straight into a glass door. Again._

_“Ouch.”_

_Natasha let out a rather undignified snort and shook her head, but there was affection in her eyes and softness in her touch._

_“You’re hopeless,” she whispered as she inspected Clint’s face._

_“But you wouldn’t have me any other way…”_

_“True.”_

_It wasn’t often that Natasha showed this side of her in public. The caring side. The side that Clint felt so protective of, possessive even…not many people got to see that but he was one of them…_

_“Come on,” Natasha was all business again as she stepped back, “We’re late for lunch.”_

_And they were._

_They usually avoided eating in the cafeteria. It was too crowded and the food was more like cardboard than anything else but today they had particular bad weather and no one really felt like leaving the warm safety of the building, so here they were._

_The rest of the group was already sitting at the largest table right in the middle of the room – Tony being the centre of attention, as always, flanked by Pepper and Bruce, Sam was talking to Sharon, and Peggy was staring at something behind Clint’s back._

_“Coulson! Fury!” Tony called out, pointing at two seats next to Pepper, at the same time, Peggy waved her hand and Clint turned around to see Steve, Wanda and Pietro approaching carefully._

_“Eh, you can join too if you want.”_

_“How generous of you, Stark,” Steve bit out and for a second the whole table held its breath, waiting for the explosion…_

_It didn’t come._

_Steve set down his tray as far away from Tony as possible and that was it. No problem._

_The twins ended up opposite from Clint and Natasha and…well…that could very well be a problem._

_Why?_

_Easy. Clint’s memories of the party might have been hazy but they very much existed and he could remember stormy eyes tracking their movements, a cheeky grin, hot skin and the taste of sweat. Clint gulped, tearing his eyes away from the mischievous glint in Pietro’s eyes and towards the sandwich in front of him._

_“Do you mind if I try some?” a slightly accented voice asked and before Clint could protest, the blond had snatched one half of the sandwich off Clint’s plate and taken a generous bite, moaning obscenely. “Delicious.”_

I’m hopeless…

_Lunch was torture. Pietro kept eating in ways that should definitely not be allowed in public, and Natasha shamelessly joined in, biting the straw of her drink and winking when she caught him watching._

_Lunch was torture but somehow he survived without anyone noticing his constant blush…or so he’d though –_

_“What’s going on between you and Pietro?” Sharon asked blatantly after she had dragged him behind a corner and all but pushed him against the wall._

_“What?”_

_“You and Pietro,” she repeated, “What’s going on there?”_

_“Wh – what are you talking about?”_

_“I’m not stupid Clint, and Natasha is my friend, if you do anything to hurt her…”_

_“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hang on…what?”_

_“I saw the way you two looked at each other just now,” the blond clarified and despite her small figure she was towering over Clint right now, intimidating and dangerous._

_“Listen, Sharon, I don’t know what you’re thinking but I would never cheat on Nat.” he told her truthfully._

_“Then maybe you should stop eye-fucking other people over your lunch.”_

_Clint wanted to reply something, anything, but nothing came to mind, and then there were steps approaching and one Peggy Carter rounding the corner._

_“Sharon?” she asked, sounding confused and worried, “What’s going on?”_

_“Nothing,” Sharon replied quickly and took a step back, “Let’s go, Peg.”_

_And go they did, leaving a highly confused and slightly scared Clint behind_.

 

Clint was wringing his hands now, shifting in his seat, his knee moving the whole table.

“Was there something going on between you, Natasha and Pietro?” Maria asked.

“Kind of?”

“So you lied to Sharon.”

“No,” Clint shook his head, “I said I would never cheat on Nat, and I didn’t. Besides…It’s nobody’s business what we do with our relationship.”

“And what did you do with it?” Maria probed further, leaning forward.

“Nat and I decided to include Pietro in our sex life. He was up to it. It was fun and no one did anything without everyone’s consent.”

“Did anyone know about arrangement?”

“Eh…Wanda might have?” It sounded more like a question than an answer. “She gave us the cold shoulder and I know she and Pietro had a pretty big fight but…I don’t know…It was none of my business.”

“Clint…One of your friends disclosed that you and Natasha had a fight very recently.”

“I wouldn’t call it a fight.”

“What would you call it?”

“A disagreement,” he answered, “Natasha’s tough. Always acting like nothing gets to her, but really, she’s a big marshmallow. She gets insecure…and please don’t tell her I said that. She’d kill me. Anyway…a lot of things changed during the last few months and she doesn’t do well with change, y’know? Sets her on edge. Nat likes to know things. We worked it out though.”

“And Sharon? Did she confront you again after that first time?”

“Not like that, no. She kept watching me. I kept telling her to mind her own business.” The teenager shrugged.

“Thank you, Clint.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Natasha Fury.” Maria sat down opposite to the red-haired girl. “Your father is the principal of Shield Academy, is that correct?”

“Yes,” Natasha answered, her face perfectly blank, her body still.

“And he is also a friend of Alexander Pierce?”

“Yes.”

“Howard Stark?”

“Yes.”

“You grew up with a lot of important people.”

“Yes.”

“And you are friends with their children.”

“Yes.”

“Tell me about your friends, Natasha,” Maria demanded, watching closely as Natasha wetted her lips, observant eyes never wavering.

“What do you want to know?” the girl countered, the shadow of a smile now playing around her lips.

“Whatever you can tell me.”

“I’ve known most of them since I was a child,” Natasha said, “It used to be Clint, Tony, Brock and I. Then Sharon and Peggy joined us. Then Bruce and Pepper. Then Sam. And now Steve, Pietro and Wanda.”

“Yes…” Maria nodded. She already knew all this. “Sam told us that you and Clint were very keen on befriending him. Why was that?”

Natasha gave a slight shrug, hardly noticeable unless you were looking for it. “Reasons.”

“And Brock? He is no longer part of your group, is he?”

“No, he isn’t.”

“Why?”

“Other reasons.”

Maria suppressed a sigh.

“You’re going to have to give me more than that, Natasha.”

“Different opinions on certain matters,” she answered evasively, “People change. It happens.”

“It does,” Maria agreed. “He wasn’t very fond of the new students, was he?”

“No.”

“Do you know why?”

“Brock values money and power. Steve, Wanda and Pietro don’t have either.”

“And you? What do you value?”

“I do not have a problem with them. They’re my friends.”

“And yet,” Maria said, looking in her file, “You said, and I quote, ‘That boy is trouble’, when referring to Steve Rogers.”

Natasha arched one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows, “He is,” she said, “Although I admit that I misjudged his character at first. Like I said, they’re my friends. Steve included.”

“Pietro Maximoff is more than your friend, though, isn’t he?”

“We had sex,” Natasha deadpanned, “That doesn’t mean he cannot be my friend.”

“And I never suggested otherwise.” Maria replied calmly, meeting Natasha’s gaze and holding it, “Did you know that Sharon suspected Clint of cheating on you?”

“Yes.”

“Care to elaborate?”

Natasha let out a sound which was almost a sigh and started talking, “At Stark’s party…”

 

_It was loud. Too loud for Natasha’s taste._

_She had just gotten herself another drink and tried to make her way back to Clint when a very drunk Sharon almost knocked her over._

_“Oh! Ohh, Natasha!” she slurred, swaying on her feet and would have probably fallen over if Natasha hadn’t reached out to keep her on her feet, “’m so sorry, Natasha.”_

_“No worries, Sharon,” Natasha told her friend, warily eyeing her drink, “You’ve had enough for now, don’t you think?” she suggested and took the glass from Sharon._

_“Thank you, Natasha.”_

_“You’re very welcome. Let’s get you some water, okay?”_

_“Thank you,” Sharon repeated, “You’re such a good friend, you know? Such a – such a good friend.”_

_“I do my best. Here, sit down.” Carefully, Natasha pushed Sharon onto the chair in the fortunately empty kitchen and walked over to the faucet to get some water. “There you go.”_

_“You’re such a good friend,” Sharon said again, “An’ you deserve so much better. So much better.”_

_“I’m quite happy with my life, Sharon.”_

_“No. No, no, no. You deserve so much better.”_

_Natasha frowned, not sure how to react, “What do you mean, Shar?”_

_“There’s so many secrets, Tasha…and they hurt people. I don’t want to hurt people.”_

_“You’re not hurting anyone, Sharon,” Natasha assured her, kneeling down in front of her friend, “Just look at Sam. Do you know how happy you make him?”_

_“He makes me happy.” Sharon smiled brightly._

_“That’s good. See? You’re not hurting anyone.”_

_“I don’t want to hurt people,” Sharon muttered, “But people hurt people and Clint…Clint is hurting you.”_

_“Why would Clint hurt me?” Natasha asked, now seriously concerned. Sharon was drunk, sure, but she was an honest drunk. An emotional drunk._

_“Clint is hurting you Natasha and I don’t want to hurt you.”_

_“You’re not hurting me, Sharon, I promise. Just tell me about Clint.”_

_“I saw him, Natasha…saw him looking at Pietro. Kissing him.”_

_“Thank you for telling me, Shar,” Natasha replied calmly, “You’re a good friend too.”_

_“No’ as good as you,” Sharon slurred, her head lolling forward as if she was about to fall asleep._

_“Sharon? Sharon? Wait here, okay? I’m going to get Sam. He’ll take care of you.”_

 

“What happened then?” Maria inquired.

“I found Sam, sent him to Sharon, then went back to the party.”

“Thank you, Natasha.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Pietro Maximoff,” Maria greeted the teenager who shot her a charming smile.

“Ma’am,” he said.

“Detective Hill,” she corrected him and sat down, making a show of opening the file in front of her.

“Pietro, you are in a sexual relationship with Natasha Fury and Clint Coulson, is that correct?”

Pietro’s smile dropped and he blinked several times. “Yes?” he answered, sounding unsure, “What does that have to do with anything?”

Maria smiled, “I’m getting there,” she assured the boy, “Can you tell how that started?”

Pietro blinked again, all the previous bravado gone from his demeanour, as he answered, “I supposed you could say at Steve’s party…”

 

_Pietro had been surprised when Steve had told him to come by. Back when they’d still gone to the 107 th, they hadn’t been friends, and even now Pietro wouldn’t say that they were particularly close, except for the fact that they were in the exact same position: the new kid in an unfamiliar environment._

_Still…Pietro wasn’t about to say no to free drinks, so he and Wanda had arrived at the apartment at around eight and been met by a group of older guys, Bucky’s colleges from the garage mostly, as well as Angie Martinelli, and a couple people from Shield, and, of course, Steve and Bucky themselves._

_“You made it.” Steve smiled at them and offered them a drink._

_It was bit weird. He’d only ever seen Steve in school, smart but tense, a little withdrawn and private, fast to throw a punch and run his mouth. This? Here? Watching him in his own home? It was different. Steve was relaxed, he smiled and laughed and joked, drinking more than Pietro would have expected and not in the least shy about his relationship with Bucky._

_Pietro and his sister ended up on a corner with the two hosts who shared a joint and stories about all the shit they’d gotten into at some point. Something about hot-wiring a car, going on a road trip, and a herd of cows on the highway…not that Pietro had been paying much attention…At the other end of the apartment, half-hidden by shadows, were Clint and Natasha, talking, flirting, throwing each other dirty looks and filthy smiles and_ damn, they’re hot together…

_It wasn’t like he meant to watch…he just couldn’t make himself look away._

_Across the room, Natasha moved her head slightly, her gaze landing on Pietro and Pietro quickly lowered his eyes, feeling slightly embarrassed at being caught. The next time he looked at them again, the couple was having a hushed discussion, Natasha’s eyes flicking towards Pietro every now and then._

_She winked._

_Pietro watched in stunned shock as the redhead very slowly and very deliberately caught Clint’s lips between her own, her eyes never leaving Pietro. It was mesmerising and exhilarating to watch. Hypnotizing._

_He didn’t even notice Tony Stark arriving to the party until the very same exclaimed, “We come in piece!” There was obviously some kind of conflict, Bucky glaring at Stark who looked slightly intimidated but didn’t step away. Eventually, Bucky leaned forward, undoubtfully to growl some kind of threat before walking away._

_Natasha and Clint didn’t seem to have noticed any of it, or maybe they had but just hadn’t cared – their making out now involving very obvious rutting and grinding._

_Pietro got up to get himself another drink, his eyes never quite leaving the couple, but before he could get to the kitchen, Natasha’s eyes meeting his had him stop in his tracks. She raised a single eyebrow at him and jerked her head towards the door, untangling herself from her boyfriend and taking his hand to drag him outside, but not without throwing one last heated look at Pietro._

_Swallowing around a dry throat, Pietro glanced at his sister who wastalking  to Stark’s friends, not paying him any attention, and he made a decision._

 

“And did anyone know about your relationship?”

“Wanda found out a few weeks ago…

 

_“Where were you?” his sister asked as soon as Pietro had entered his room. She was sitting on his bed, back leaned against the wall, looking angry._

_“Out,“ Pietro answered without looking at her. Instead, he pulled off his shirt, threw it into the corner of his room where the rest of his laundry was, and began digging in his closet for a clean one._

_“Do not get smart with me,” Wanda replied. A creak from the bed told Pietro that his sister had stood up, but he was not prepared for her to stand right behind him. “You have been acting weird lately and today, Sharon came to me and told me that if you didn’t stay away from Clint, she’d make you regret it.” Pietro froze, suddenly painfully aware of his bare chest that was covered in bruises and scratches. “So, do you want to tell me what that was about or do you want me to guess?” she continued, her eyes dropping to a particularly deep hickey just above his collarbone before meeting his again. Cold and unyielding. Pietro had never quite acknowledged how terrifying his sister could be._

_“It’s not what you think,” he said weakly._

_“Isn’t it?” Wanda shot back, “Then what is it like, Pietro?”_

_“That’s none of your business.”_

_“It is my business when people threaten you in front of me!”_

_Pietro threw his hands in the air, pushing past his Wanda. “I don’t need you to protect me!” he told her, trying to keep his voice even._

_“Clearly you do,” Wanda said, “Because whatever is going on, you are the one that’s going to end up being hurt.”_

_“Just stay out of this, Wanda. I know what I’m doing.”_

_“Do you?” There was something in Wanda’s voice, something like defeat and sorrow, that made Pietro’s heart ache. She shook her head. “We need to look out for each other. You’re the one who taught me that. And we do….because they won’t.” And with those words she turned around and left, shutting the door softly but with a finality that felt like a slap in the face._

_“Fuck!”_

 

“She didn’t really speak to me for a while after that,” Pietro finished, running his hand through his hair.

“Were you angry?” Maria inquired, “Sharon telling your sister, threatening her and you. Your sister trying to tell you what to do…”

“Of course I was angry but…she’s just looking out for me. I’d do the same for her, y’know?”

“Thank you, Pietro.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Ma’am,” the boy in front of her greeted Maria, his eyes serious and attentive.

“Steve. I’m detective Maria Hill, please, sit.” He was small, skinny, his skin pale and his hair fair, and he looked both younger and older than the 17 years he was according to the file. “I have heard a lot about you, Steve,” she told him, “You have the reputation of a troublemaker.”

Steve snorted, “You been talking to Bucky?” he asked.

“Your boyfriend, James Barnes? Yes. Amongst others.”

“Yeah…sounds like something he’d say…”

“Why is that?” Maria questioned and Steve shrugged.

“He’s not wrong,” he muttered, “I always do shit I shouldn’t do.”

“Like starting a fight in front of the school on your fist day?”

“Yeah…like that.”

Maria nodded. “Steve, despite the bumpy start, you and Tony Stark have struck a friendship, is that correct?”

Steve shrugged again, “Yeah,” he said.

“And the others? How would you describe your relationship to them?”

“We’re friends.”

“Could you elaborate?”

“I mean…I knew Wanda and Pietro before. We went to the same school,” Steve explained, “Then there’s Clint and Tasha…Tony, obviously, we have lunch together and Tony invited me a few times for his Friday night get-togethers…and of course Peggy and Sharon.”

“I’ve been told there was a fight between Peggy and Sharon Carter, and you,” Maria prompted carefully and Steve winced.

“Not…not a fight exactly…” he whispered, his eyes downcast.

“Tell me what happened, Steve.”

Steve raised his head and now Maria could see that there were tears glistening in his eyes, “I made a horrible mistake…”

 

_The apartment was dark when Steve opened the door. He was shaking, his jacket still lying where he had thrown it on the floor a few hours earlier and half a town away._

_“Didn’t think you’d come home.”_

_Steve jumped at the voice and turned around, turning on the light. There, on the couch, sat Buck, his shoulders hunched and his eyes apologetic and –_

_“Buck…” Steve breathed out, whishing…wishing._

_“I’m sorry, Steve. I shoulda told ya, but I knew you wouldn’t’ve taken the money if you’d known,” Bucky said, looking at Steve hopefully, and Steve…he couldn’t hold it anymore. The tears that had been burning in his eyes finally making their way down his cheeks, his legs threatening to give out. And Bucky – wonderful, perfect, Bucky – rushed forward to help him._

_“Don’t,” Steve managed to choke out and Bucky froze, frowning._

_“What’s wrong? Babydoll. Stevie, what happened?”_

_“I –” He couldn’t, but he had to, had to tell him, had to – “I’m sorry, Buck. I’m so fucking sorry, I didn’t mean to, it just happened and I know that’s not an excuse but –”_

_“Steve!” Bucky cut him off, “You’re makin’ no sense. Sit down, tell me what happened.”_

_Steve nodded, moving towards the couch and sitting down opposite from his boyfriend._

_“From the beginning.”_

_“I made a horrible mistake,” Steve whispered hoarsely, “I…I …” he took a shaky breath, trying to steady himself, prepare for what was about to happen, “I had sex with Peggy.”_

_There. He’d said it._

_Bucky sat on the couch as if he was frozen, his face blank, empty, lifeless._

_“I had sex with Peggy,” Steve repeated, “And I’m sorry.”_

_There were no more tears. Just cold dread._

_Slowly, Bucky stood up, walked over to the kitchen, poured himself a glass of whisky and drained it on one go. Then, he reached for his cigarettes. The only thing betraying his calm, was the slight tremor in his hands as he lighted the smoke._

_“Buck –” Steve started but Bucky held up his hand, silencing him immediately, and then he turned around and Steve wished he hadn’t. Bucky’s eyes, usually so soft and full of love, were a violent storm of burning anger and cold hurt. He took another drag from the cigarette. Suddenly, the brunet’s body jerked into action, his hand slamming down on the kitchen counter, and Steve winced, he couldn’t help it…he’d never seen Bucky like this…so out of control._

I did this _…he thought brokenly._

_Bucky was leaning on the kitchen counter, his arms outstretched and his head hung low between his shoulders and Steve could see him taking deep breaths. Eventually, he straightened up, grabbed his jacket, his cigarettes and his car keys, walking towards the door. Steve didn’t dare speak, didn’t dare move. And without another word, Bucky was gone._

_And Steve cried._

 

A few tears had fallen down Steve’s face as he had spoken, his face hard.

“Do you know where he went?” Maria asked.

Steve shook his head. “Probably Dugan’s,” he said.

“When was the next time you saw him?”

Steve swallowed. “The next morning…”

 

_He woke to the smell of coffee. His mind hazy and his body stiff._

_A mug was unceremonially put down on the small table and Steve opened his eyes to see Bucky sitting in the same spot he’d been in the previous night. His he was still wearing the same clothes, his hair was a mess, and he had dark rings under his eyes._

_“Talk,” Bucky demanded. Steve sat up, blinking at the other man, trying to process his words. “Go on,” Bucky said, “Last night you wanted to explain, now you have the chance.” He didn’t seem angry anymore. Only sad._

_“I’m sorry, Bucky,” Steve said earnestly._

_Bucky smiled. It was a smile that broke Steve’s heart into a million pieces. It was a smile that cut through him like a knife, leaving him wide open and bleeding. It was a smile that Steve had never seen before. Not on Bucky._

_“I know you are.”_

_“After our fight,” Steve began, hoping against hope that he could make this right, that he could make it undone, “I was so…angry with you…You threw away your future for me…that…my place at Shield…it should have been yours…it was yours, and I just…I was angry. And that’s not an excuse, that’s not a reason, and it’s not your fault. I know why you did it. I knew it last night but…” he shook his head. This was wrong. All of this was fucking wrong. “I ended up at Peggy’s…we…we got drunk…Sharon was there too. She had these…these pills…I don’t know. She gave me one. Suddenly everything just felt…easy. I felt good. The anger… it was gone. Peggy was upset about something. I comforted her and then…I swear…Bucky, I swear I didn’t mean for it to happen.”_

_“But it did.”_

_“But it did.”_

_Bucky nodded slowly, and he seemed far more collected than last night as he pulled out a smoke._

_“I’d understand if you wanted me to leave,” Steve said finally, “If you’d wanted to –”_

_“Gonna stop you right there, Rogers,” Bucky cut in, his voice sharper than usual, “If you wanna break up with me…I can’t stop you…but do not manipulate me into doing it for you. Don’t you dare do that, ‘cause I’m not gonna. This…us…it means too much for me to just throw away. I’m not sure what that makes me but…goddammit, I love you, Steve Rogers, and I will keep loving you, and yeah…you fucked up, big time, but…we’re gonna deal with it. Together. I want to forgive you.” It was like all the air had left his lungs as Steve stared at Bucky, trying to come up with words, but there were none. “Now drink your fuckin’ coffee, take a shower and get some more sleep. You look like shit. I gotta get Becca to school.”_

_Bucky stood up and walked towards Becca’s bedroom door but before he could knock, Steve called out his name, “Buck!” and Bucky stopped, not turning around but listening._

_“I love you, too, Bucky.”_

 

“And did you?” Maria asked, making Steve jump a little as he was pulled back from his thoughts, “Did you deal with it?”

Steve shrugged, then nodded. “We’re getting there,” he answered.

“And what about Peggy?”

“I texted her…that morning. I said that what happened was a mistake, that we shouldn’t have done it, that Bucky knew, and that it would be best if we stayed away from each other for a bit.”

“How did she react?”

“She understood and said that she agreed.”

Maria nodded, taking notes as Steve spoke. “Did anyone else know?”

“Sharon, she…she walked in on us.” Steve was blushing lightly, his eyes again fixated on his hands on the table.

“Did you talk to Sharon about it?”

“No.” Steve shook his head. “She didn’t speak to me. Or Peggy. Nut until…not until Stark’s party.”

“Why not?”

Steve looked up abruptly, “Why do you think?” Instead of replying, Maria simply raised her eyebrows at the boy and Steve sighed. “Everyone knew that she had a bit of a crush on me but it wasn’t – I didn’t – she had that think with Brock and then she went out with Sam and…they seemed happy together, y’know? I didn’t think it’d affect her like that.” He shook his head. “Guess I was wrong.”

“Thank you, Steve.”


	9. Chapter 9

The girl in front of Maria looked impeccable despite the late hour, her make-up flawless, her hair perfectly styled.

“Peggy Carter? I’m detective Hill, I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

“Of course,” Peggy replied.

“You and your sister had a fight quiet recently,” Maria started, “Can you tell me what it was about?”

“Sharon saw something she wasn’t supposed to see.”

“You and Steve.”

“Yes,” Peggy answered and for the split of a second her mask broke, pulled into a grimace, “But not just that.”

“What else did she see?”

Peggy looked at her for a long moment before answering quietly, “Me and Angie.”

 

_Peggy wasn’t even sure how it had started._

_Or rather she did._

_She had met Angie at Steve’s party, she had beaten her and the boys at poker, and then they had talked. Angie was clever. She worked in a diner and went to film school. She wanted to be an actress. Angie was funny and brave and kind._

_So maybe Peggy did know how it had started but that didn’t answer the question of how they had ended up here. Here, was the diner Angie worked in. The other girl had told Peggy to come by and Peggy had. They’d spent the whole evening exchanging banter and easy conversation. Laughing. Flirting. It had happened again and again and again._

_Now, Peggy was in the hallway in front of the toilets, back against the wall, and Angie was right there in front of her, close, so, so close, and smiling her beautiful smile and –_

Oh.

_She was kissing her._ Angie _was kissing her. Her lips tasted sweet and Peggy found herself getting lost at the sensation, her heart beating far too fast and her brain slowing down._

_“Peggy?”_

_Were they in a movie, there would have been the sound of a record player screeching to a hold. As it was, they were not in a movie, but instead of the record player, it was Peggy’s heart that stopped as she looked past Angie at her sister. Sharon looked good, she noticed, she was wearing her best jeans and the cute, new shirt Peggy had given her for her birthday. And then it hit her._

Shit.

_But before she could do something, anything, Sharon had turned around and walked away._

_“Shit,” Peggy cursed and followed quickly, but her sister was already gone._

 

“Angie calmed me down and took me home after her shift.”

“Did you and Sharon talk about what happened?”

“We fought about it,” Peggy said, “She was so upset…accused me of lying to her, of not trusting her, which is ridiculous. I just wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. Everything was still so new and fragile and I wanted to figure it out for myself before I told anyone…but Sharon didn’t see it that way.”

“That must have hurt,” Maria said, “Your own sister dismissing you like that.”

“Of course it hurt.”

“And Steve?”

“He came by one night, fuming in anger. I asked him what was wrong but he wouldn’t say, so I opened a bottle of wine. Eventually, Sharon joined us and Steve started to talk…”

 

_“I had a fight with Buck,” Steve slurred from where he was slummed over on the sofa, his elbows resting on his knees and his head hanging low._

_Peggy immediately walked over to him, throwing her arm around his slender shoulders and pulling him close._

_“What did you fight about?” she asked._

_“It was stupid.” Steve sighed and leaned back, half against the sofa, half against Peggy._

_“Most fights are,” Sharon noted, pouring Steve another glass of wine._

_“Yeah, but this one was really stupid. I overreacted.”_

_“What happened, Steve?” Peggy asked gently._

_“The scholarship I got so I could go to Shield Academy? It was Bucky’s.”_

Oh.

_“Why didn’t he take it?” Sharon asked and held the glass out to Steve who took it without looking._

_“’Cause he’s Bucky,” he answered like that was all they needed to know._

_“And you’re angry with him because…”_

_“Because he keeps doing shit like this. Ever since we met, he puts me before himself, always taking care of me, protecting me, even though I never asked him to and I don’t need protection. I can look after myself! And I’m not sure if he just doesn’t see that or if he doesn’t want to see it but he treats me like I’m a fucking child. And now he threw away a perfect opportunity for him to make something out of his life and get out of this shithole but no! Instead he tricks me into taking that fucking grant, as if I’m some sort of charity case!” Steve was panting, his face red with anger, and he emptied the glass with one big gulp._

_Peggy blinked. Once. Twice._

_“Steve,” she began carefully, “Let me ask you something…if your roles were reversed – if it had been you who had been offered the scholarship…wouldn’t you have done same thing for him?”_

_“Of course I would have!” Steve answered, looking at her like she’d gone crazy, “That’s not the fucking point! The point is that this wasn’t the first time, Bucky’s missed out on something because of me!”_

_“But that’s his choice, isn’t it?”_

_“Well, he shouldn’t have to make that choice. It’s not fair.”_

_Sharon sputtered, “Fair?” she repeated, her voice disbelieving and her eyebrows raised, “Steve, this has nothing to with fair. That guy worships the fucking ground you walk on, I’m pretty sure that there is literally nothing he wouldn’t do for you, he loves you so much it’s actually disgusting, and if you can’t see that, then you’re either blind or a fool – also, let’s stop talking about this, it’s depressing. Here’s what you’ll do: drink some more wine, spent the night here, and tomorrow you apologize to your boyfriend and tell him you love him. Deal?”_

_Steve stared Sharon for a long moment, dumbfounded and wide-eyed, but eventually nodded._

_“Fine,” he muttered and reached for the wine on the table._

 

“We all drank a lot,” Peggy explained, “At some point, Sharon pulled out these pills, said she’d gotten them from Brock, and then…well…you know what happened then.”

“You had sex with Steve.”

Peggy nodded, “I did.”

“And your sister walked in on you?”

“She walked in on us just as we had fallen asleep afterwards.”

“What happened then?”

“Steve left,” Peggy answered, “He seemed horrified by what had happened, kept apologizing…” the brunette lowered her eyes, her voice barely more than a whisper now, “Sharon just looked at me like she didn’t even recognize me. She didn’t speak to me for two weeks.”

“Until Tony Stark’s party,” Maria concluded and Peggy nodded, still not looking up, “Thank you, Peggy” Maria said softly.


	10. Chapter 10

“Tell me about Stark’s Party.”

 

_It was a Friday and everyone was there. Well…maybe not everyone but it was close enough._

_The music was loud and the air war warm as they lounged in Tony’s living room, talking, laughing, singing, dancing._

_Sam stood in a corner listening to Steve rant about the unfairness that was the American health care system._

_Tony was playing the DJ, never letting go of the wine bottle in his hand._

_Clint was trying and failing to do a handstand, Pietro and Peggy standing nearby, laughing._

_Wanda and Sharon were outside in the flickering glow of the pool, both faces angry and hard._

_“I will not have you threaten my brother, Sharon,” Wanda hissed, “I don’t care what you think he did, but you won’t touch him. I won’t allow it.”_

_“You?” Sharon shot back, “This has nothing to do with you, you silly cow. I was being nice when I told you to keep you brother in check, you failed to do so, now live with the consequences.”_

_“My brother has done nothing wrong!”_

_Sharon snorted and shook her head, “Your brother has done everything wrong,” she stepped closer, lowering her voice to a barely audible whisper, “If I see him around Clint again after tonight, I’ll let everyone know just what kind of person he is.”_

_Wanda’s face darkened and her eyes grew narrow as she matched Sharon’s tone of voice, “If I hear you threatening Pietro one more time, I’ll make sure you never do anything ever again.” And with that she turned around and walked back inside, leaving a fuming Sharon behind. The blonde’s eyes fell on her sister who was looking right back at her, a frown playing around her lips, fell on Clint and Pietro who were leaning on each other as they laughed, and she quickly empties the her drink to get another one._

* * *

 

_Peggy had left the boys alone some while ago in favour of sitting down on the couch. She had watched as Sharon stumbled through the crows, clearly drunk, and ran into Natasha who had had looked as graceful as ever despite the vodka in her hand. The red-haired girl had led the blonde to the kitchen and now both were back, just in time for Tony to announce a game of truth or dare. They all groaned but gathered around the table and settled onto the couches and pillows nonetheless._

_Unlike the others, Peggy hadn’t had a single drop of alcohol all night._

_“Sam, the man!” Tony shouted out after Sam had picked truth, “Virgin or no virgin?”_

_“Really?” Sam looked at the younger boy in disbelief._

_“Truth is truth.”_

_Sam sighed, “No, Tony, I haven’t had sex.”_

_“Hey,” Tony held up his hands even though he was still holding his wine in the right one, “Nothing wrong with that.”_

_Sam grumbled something that sounded like “I know” or might have been “Fuck you” before moving on to Wanda._

_“Dare,” she answered challengingly._

_“I dare you to sing Barbie Girl for us.”_

_Wanda rolled her eyes but otherwise gave no indication that she actually minded the humiliation that came with the task as she took it in stride._

_It only went downhill from there._

_Wanda dared Pietro to take off his pants._

_Pietro made Clint tell them about his most embarrassing experience._

_Clint asked Sharon about her first time._

_Sharon –_

_“Steve!” she exclaimed, “Truth or dare?” There something in her voice…something vicious and dangerous, and Steve tensed up._

_“Dare,” he answered carefully._

_“I dare you to pick truth,” Sharon said, her eyes fixed on the blond and even though she was still drunk, too drunk, her words were clear, “I dare you tell me how it feels to have knocked up my sister.”_

_The room fell silent as everyone seemed to have stopped breathing. A choked off sound from the glass door that led out to the pool made them turn around, made them stare at a dark figure standing in the dim light of the veranda._

_“Buck –” Steve scrambled to his feet, braking the spell but the dark figure, Bucky, had already turned around and left._

_“Well…guess party’s over,” Tony muttered into his wine and slowly stood up as well, patting Steve on the back as he passed him. The sudden touch seemed to shake Steve out of his stupor and he looked around, taking in all the eyes that were looking at him, and ran. Moments later they could hear a door slamming shut and the sound of someone retching violently._

_Natasha and Clint exchanged an uneasy look and decided to follow Stark, not even bothering to come up with something to say since Peggy was too shocked to notice much of anything. Pietro tried to follow the couple but was held back by his sister who glared at him and dragged him into the opposite direction and outside the front door, leaving Sam, Sharon, and Peggy alone in the living room._

_Sharon looked around, dumfounded. Puzzled by what had just happened and by what she had done; she jumped when Sam grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the kitchen._

_“What the fuck, Sharon?” he asked after he had closed the door behind them._

_“What?”_

_“What, what? Why did you do that? Why would you say that?”_

_“It’s true,” Sharon defended herself and walked up to the sink to drink some more water, “Found the test this morning, just lying in the bin.”_

_“So?” Sam looked at his friend in complete incomprehension, “You decided to just tell the whole world that you sister is pregnant?!”_

_“It’s hardly the whole world,” Sharon argued, “Just us.” She shrugged. “Besides…it’s not like we wouldn’t have found out sooner or later.”_

_“That’s not the point, Sharon, and you know it,” Sam all but shouted, his hands were balled into fists as he paced up and down the room. Suddenly, he stopped, turning towards Sharon, “You had no right to say that. Why did you say that?”_

_“Because I’m sick with everyone’s secrets!” Sharon answered, her voice much louder now than it had been just moments before, “We’re all lying to each other! All cheating and acting and pretending and I’m sick of it!”_

_“Wha - ?” Sam faltered, “What do you mean? Shar, what are you talking about?”_

_The girl huffed, shaking her head, “Tony’s father is a drunk who beats Tony green and blue every other week,” she began, “Clint is cheating on Natasha with Pietro. Wanda knows about it but doesn’t do anything. Steve cheated on Bucky with Peggy when he wouldn’t even look twice at me._ You _don’t tell me that your mum has serious money problems. Brock –”_

_“Whoa, hang on a sec,” Sam interrupted, holding up his hand, “How did you know about the money?”_

_“Does it matter?” Sharon asked, “I know and you didn’t tell me!”_

_“Yeah, ‘cause it’s none of your fucking business!”_

_“I could help you!”_

_“I don’t want your help, Sharon,” Sam replied, stepping closer to his friend, “I don’t want your help. I know that you’re rich and that money doesn’t mean anything to you but some of us aren’t like that. If we needed help, we’d ask for it, but we don’t, so you need to back the hell off, got it?”_

_Sharon blinked. Once. Twice._

_“Fuck you, Sam,” she said and pushed passed to leave the kitchen, nearly colliding with Steve in the dark hallway, “You too, Rogers,” she spat out and walked out onto the veranda._

* * *

 

_After Sam had taken Sharon to the kitchen, Peggy had walked outside into the darkness, the faint light from the house barely enough to keep her from tripping over her own feet, and if it hadn’t been for the glowing cigarette, she might not have seen the man hunched in on himself just a few feet away. She had stopped to look at him and known he had been looking back, right at her, but hadn’t spoken._

_“He didn’t know,” Peggy had said eventually, “He didn’t know. I only found out this morning and I don’t even know what I’m going to do.”_

_“Whatever it is,” Bucky had begun, his voice raw and shaky, “Whatever you decide…you’re not alone.” At that, Peggy had frozen, not expecting the reaction. “Don’t look at me like that.”_

_“Bucky –”_

_“No,” Bucky had cut her off, “Let me say this. Please. My boyfriend cheated on me and got you pregnant.” He had swallowed thickly and taken a long drag from the cigarette while Peggy had dared to step closer. “And I might be an asshole sometimes but…I ain’t gonna tell you what to do. ‘s your decision. Steve’s gonna be there for you. And so am I.”_

_“Thank you.” Peggy’s voice hadn’t been anything more than a hoarse whisper and Bucky must have noticed because when had spoken next, he had sounded kinder, gentler, “Come ‘ere.”_

_And Peggy had, allowing the older boy to pull her into a tight embrace._

_When Steve came outside, that’s how he found his boyfriend and his best friend – arm in arm, silently crying together._

_“Bucky, I –” Steve began but Bucky intervened, “If you say you’re sorry one more time, I swear, I’m gonna leave right now and you can walk home.”_

_“I don’t know what to say…” Steve finished quietly, ignoring Bucky’s words, and forcing himself to not avert his eyes._

_“There’s not much to say,” Bucky replied, his arm was still slung around Peggy’s shoulders and he motioned for Steve to sit down on his other side. “Just…Fucking hell, Stevie…you don’t do anything by halves, do you?”_

_Steve froze, staring at Bucky. “Was that…Did you just…”_

_“What else am I supposed to do, Steve?” Bucky asked and pulled Steve in, pressing a rough kiss to his blond hair, breathing in. “I’m still pissed at you. Both of you, actually. But Peggy being pregnant doesn’t change what happened. Doesn’t make it better but doesn’t make it worse either. I promised to take care of ya, Stevie, and I will…no matter what.”_

_Steve must have been stunned into silence, his eyes getting suspiciously wet as he buried his face in Bucky’s chest._

_“We’ll figure it out,” Bucky said again, running his fingers through Steve’s hair, “All three of us.”_

_“Four,” Peggy suddenly said and Steve raised his head to look at hear._

_“Four?” he asked confused._

_“I…Angie…we were…”_

_“Oh.”_

_“Yeah…”_

_And then Bucky laughed. It was disbelieving, almost hysterical. It was the kind of laughing you did when you didn’t want to cry._

_“Holy shit…this keeps getting better and better…” he muttered, shaking his head, “Come on. Let’s get you two punks home.”_

_Carefully, Bucky manoeuvred the two others to their feet and helped them get into the car. He threw one last glance back at the house, most lights were out and everything was quiet, and if he thought he saw a dark shadow creeping through the darkness towards the stairs that led to the pool, then that was just his brain playing tricks on him._

 

“Did you kill Sharon Carter?”

“No.”


	11. Chapter 11

Investigating cases of death was never fun but when the victim was a 16 year old girl from a rich, well-respected family, it got about ten times worse. Maria felt like her every step was being watched and each breath she took judged, the media was having a field day, throwing around rumours and speculations, and the her new partner, Helmut Zemo, was being an incompetent ass.

“I bet it was Barnes,” he said after the last interview.

“Yeah? And why is that?” Maria challenged without looking at him. They had just arrived in the small kitchen and she was dying for some coffee and maybe a chocolate bar or –

“He fits the profile.”

“We don’t have a profile,” Maria reminded the man and turned around. She didn’t like him. Zemo reminded her of a rat, small and dirty, and on second thought, rats were rather cute and really didn’t deserve to be associated with something like this.

“I still wouldn’t put it past him.”

_Oh that’s it…_

“Well, lucky for us then, that no investigation is based on what you would or wouldn’t put past a person, isn’t it, Zemo?” she snapped and dropped her files on the table. Something was missing…Something… _or someone…_

“What was he doing at the party anyway? I can’t imagine he was invited,” Zemo interrupted her train of thought.

“Steve texted him, asked to be picked up,” Maria answered without taking her eyes off the files, “Sharon died between midnight and 1 a.m., Peggy said she was home by half twelve, her grandmother confirmed that story. Peggy, Barnes, and Steve sat outside the house for at least half an hours, none of them would have had the opportunity to drown Sharon the pool. The twins left around eleven, and we have security footage of them both in a McDonalds at half eleven, their parents confirmed that they were home by midnight. Tony Stark had a Skype call from his girlfriend at eleven which went on until well past 2, and Natasha Fury and Clint Coulson comforted Sam Wilson after the fight with Sharon until they all fell asleep.”

Zemo was quiet for a moment and Maria was almost getting her hopes up that maybe, just maybe, he’d let her think about all this proper –

“I still think it was Barnes. Or maybe Rogers. He seems the type.”

\- ly

“I find it awfully fascinating how set you are on Barnes to be the culprit,” Maria gritted out, “I wonder why that is?”

“It fits, doesn’t it? Angry young man, with no money and no future. Boyfriend dumps him for someone better. He’s got a criminal record too!”

“He stole strawberries and chocolate sauce when he was fifteen and got caught.”

“My point still stands.”

Maria took a deep breath, collecting herself before calmly saying, “Zemo? I will have you removed from this case because of compromising prejudice and general assholery, if you want to file a complaint with the Captain, please feel free to do so, until then, get out of my way so I can solve this case.” Zemo looked utterly floored and lost for words. Not that Maria cared particularly much, there was a line and he had crossed it several unprofessional remarks ago. “Have a nice evening, _partner_.” She stood up and walked over to her desk, mind already back on the case.

 

_Though I saw somethin’ for a second. Dark shadow. Didn’t really pay it much attention but…now I hate myself for not checking what it was…_

 

_I blame myself, really. She was just watching out for her friends, just as I was just watching out for Pietro. There’s nothing wrong with being protective over the ones you love._

 

_I found her the next morning just lying in the pool. Of course I was shocked. I was there! I could have done something, helped her, saved her…someone came into my house and killed my friend._

 

_She was upset. Kept talking about all these secrets we supposedly had but there was more to it, I could tell. If I had just left her finish…if I had just asked her what was bothering her…maybe she’d still be alive._

_I kinda wish we’d have just told her what was going on. I mean…it was none of her business but…Natasha told me what she said at the party. She was just trying to help._

_I regret not telling her the whole story. I regret not seeing that something was wrong. I’ve known Sharon almost all my life and she was smart. She was a good person. But she was also stubborn and I should have helped her._

_That night she seemed a bit crazy, you know? Crazy and drunk. And then she asked Steve that question and I just thought, ‘well…didn’t see that coming’. Now I think I should have made more of an effort to get to know her._

_I’m not even angry at Sharon that she said what she said. She had point. She had a right to be angry with me. I’d brushed her off and then went and slept with her sister. It wasn’t right. I knew it wasn’t right. But I also think that that wasn’t the only reason why she got so drunk that night…or at least I hope that that wasn’t the only reason._

_Sharon…Sharon’s always been too smart for her own good. We both have. But the difference between us was I knew when to stop digging and she…didn’t. She’d keep going. We weren’t on speaking terms before the party but I knew something was wrong. That she found out something. Now I wish I had asked her._

* * *

 

“Mister Pierce, excuse me for the early disturbance.”

Alexander Pierce considered her for a few seconds before smiling politely, “No worried, detective. How can I help you?”

“I’d like to speak to your son.”

“Whatever about?”

Choosing her words carefully, Maria returned his smile, “A young woman died, Mister Pierce, I have to speak to everyone who might have information and Brock spent a great deal of time with her. He might know something that could help us solve this case.”

“Very well.” Pierce stepped aside, allowing Maria to enter the house, “Brock! Get down here, now!”

As she waited, Maria took in the house. It was big and pompous, with old portraits on the walls and thick curtains covering the windows.

“What is it, father?” Brock appeared at the bottom of the stairs, still wearing his pyjamas.

“Detective Hill here wants to speak to you about Sharon,” Pierce informed his son, “And I have to get to work. I trust you can show yourself out when you’re done here.” He was gone before Maria could even consider a response, left alone with Brock Pierce who eyes her sceptically.

“Brock,” she indicated at one of the old leather sofas with hand and sat down.

“Why are you here?” he asked as he took the other sofa.

“One of your classmates was killed. Your friend nonetheless. I’m currently speaking to everyone who knew her to find out what happened and I’m hoping you might now something, the others didn’t.” Brock nodded, relaxing slightly. “How close were you and Sharon?”

Brock shrugged, “We grew up together,” he grumbled, “Dad wanted me to marry her.”

“Did you want that?”

“She was pretty enough.”

Maria blinked, fighting with herself not to let her thoughts show.

“So, would you say you were close?” she asked again.

“Of course we were close,” Brock snapped, “I was gonna marry her.”

“That’s not what I heard,” Maria said carefully, “She was dating Sam Wilson, was she not?”

Brock snorted, shaking his head, “Didn’t mean anything. She always same back to me in the end.”

“Brock,” Maria sighed, “I know that you got into a fight with Sam over Sharon. That you threatened him.”

“Not my fault if he can’t keep his hands of my girlfriend. Besides, what’s this got to do with anything? Wilson’s not dead is he?”

“He is not,” Maria agreed, “But Sharon is. Tell me, Brock, where were you at the night of Tony Stark’s party?”

Brock frowned, “Jack’s,” he answered, “We played X-Box and ordered pizza like every Friday.”

Maria nodded, “See, the thing is, I talked to Jack, and he told me that you cancelled last minute.”

“Then he’s lying,” Brock exclaimed almost frantically.

“Is he?” Maria countered, reaching into her pocket to pull out a plastic bag. “Do you recognize this phone, Brock?” The phone in question was fairly new with a glittery sliver case. Maria watched as Brock’s eyes grew wide in realisation. “This is Sharon’s phone. She forgot it in Tony Stark’s kitchen. Do you want to guess what we found on it?” Brock remained silent, his shoulders tense in anticipation. “We found pictures of documents that incriminate your father with embezzlement as well as wilful neglect, or to put in simple terms, your father took money from the company to buy a house in Florida and a new car, money that was supposed to go into the built of the 107th High School, making the company use subpar materials which led to the collapse of the school.”

“You can’t prove that.”

“You’re right, I can’t,” Maria admitted, “But these documents and the responsible department can.” She gave the boy a moment to process her words, letting him come forward by himself. He didn’t. “Did you go to Stark Manor that night, Brock?” She asked eventually.

Brock opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. “I just wanted to talk to her,” he said eventually, “Sharon’s got a key for this place but we changed the security code since she was last here. She didn’t know. The alarm went off but she was gone by the time the police got here and nothing was stolen but I knew it was her. She’d been asking questions about dad and the company. I just went there to ask her what she wanted.”

“Tell me what happened, Brock,” Maria demanded gently, leaning forward a bit as to not miss anything he would say.

“I knew she’d be at the party, so I told Jack I wouldn’t come…”

 

_He could hear faint music coming from inside the house, meaning the party had be in full swing, meaning he’d have to wait. There was no doubt that if he walked in there now, he’d be thrown out._

_A car pulled up the driveway and Brock recognized Rogers’ boytoy, or maybe it was other way around – his hair was pulled back in a ponytail and he was wearing the usual cheap clothes that Brock wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. Sinking further into the shadows, Brock watched as the other guy walked up the stairs that led to the pool past the house, watched as he entered through the glass door, watched as…he came back out? Brock frowned slightly as the guy – Barnes? – came back down the stairs, looking like he‘d seen a ghost, eyes wide and skin pale. But instead of getting into the car, he simply slumped against it, taking a few deep, deliberate breaths before sliding down to the ground and lighting a cigarette._

_Brock cursed silently._

_This was not going like he thought it would._

 

“And then, what?” asked Maria.

“I waited.” Brock shrugged. “The twins came out and left. Then Peggy. She sat down with Barnes and they talked. Rogers came and joined them. I overheard what they were saying and apparently Rogers got Peggy pregnant? I don’t know…it was fucking pathetic is what it was. They left eventually.”

“And you?”

“I saw Sharon outside by the pool…”

 

_“Sharon.”_

_The blonde girl jumped and turned around, nearly losing her balance._

_“What are you doing here?”_

_“I just came to talk.”_

_“Talk?” she repeated, her eyebrows arched, “Talk about what?”_

_“I know you broke into my house,” Brock informed her and stepped closer._

_Sharon stood her ground, looking him dead in the eyes. “I did no such thing,” she said._

_Brock smiled maliciously. “You’ve always been a good liar.”_

_“Not as good as you.”_

_“Sharon, what did you see in the house?” Brock asked, choosing to ignore her comment._

_“Brock,” Sharon began, “The last time I was in your house was six months ago, remember? When you told me you loved me and called me a fucking waste of space in the same breath?”_

_“I –”_

_“No,” Sharon cut him off, “I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear anything from you ever again. I know you think I’ll come crawling back to you, but that’s not going to happen. Consider yourself officially dumped and get over it.”_

_Brock grimaced. “Oh, you’ll come back,” he muttered, taking another step, “You always do. And you’ll be begging for forgiveness.” It was a sweet image, one he was already looking forward to. “But that’s not why I’m here. I know it was you who broke in and I want to know what you saw.”_

_There was a moment in which Brock was sure Sharon would continue to deny everything, was already prepared to turn to more drastic methods, when she took a step back and smiled coolly._

_“Why don’t you ask your father,” she said._

My father? _“Why would I do that?”_

_“Ask him about the 107 th High School,” Sharon continued as if she hadn’t heard him, “Watch him as he tried to explain what happened to the money that was supposed to go into the structure of the building.”_

_Brock let out a frustrated groan. “What the hell are you talking about, Carter?”_

_“I know what he did, Brock,” Sharon hissed, “I know who’s responsible for the collapse.”_

So?

_“You can’t prove that.”_

_“Can’t I?” Sharon shot back and Brock could feel a cold shudder running down his spine._

_“What did you do?”_

_Sharon let out a snort. “Nothing you could undo,” she said and turned around, undoubtfully to go back inside, and before Brock knew it, he had already grabbed her wrist._

_“What. Did you. Do?”_

_“Let go of me,” Sharon snarled, glaring at the hand around her wrist, and Brock knew – he knew – that the only reason why it wasn’t broken yet, was because Sharon was drunk and probably hadn’t quite realised what was happening just yet._

_“Tell me what you did and I will,” Brock promised._

_Sharon gave him a dirty look and tugged hard but Brock was stronger, always had been, always would be, and he held on, pulling her back. It was a sudden movement, hard and quick, throwing Sharon off balance who let out a barely audible yelp and stumbled and –_

 

“And what? What happened Brock?”

“I let go,” Brock muttered, “She must have hit her head because there was blood and she was lying in the water and she wasn’t moving.”

“What did you do then?”

“I left.”

“Brock Pierce,” Maria began and slowly stood up from the sofa, “I’m arresting you for the murder of Sharon Carter…”


	12. Epilogue

Captain Maria Hill let her gaze drift. The apartment was nice. Not too big but still spacious, with large windows and bright colours, the walls covered in photographs of friends and family through the years. The living room was filled with adults, some of which Maria recognised, some of which she didn’t, but she walked past all of them towards the kitchen and out into the garden where the children were playing.

“Captain!” Peggy Carter stepped up to her, smiling brightly, “I’m glad you could make it.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Ten years ago, after the trial of Brock Pierce, Peggy had approached her and proclaimed that law enforcement was the way to go for her and if Maria couldn’t be her mentor – naturally, Maria had agreed. Now, Peggy was a detective who had just solved her first major case and, like every year, invited Maria to her daughter’s birthday party.

Hope Carter, who ‘took entirely after her mum’ as Bucky had assured her, was an exceptional human being. Maria had never particularly liked children but Hope? Hope was perfect. She was smart and strong and _soft_ in a way that seemed almost surreal. And Maria had watched her grow up, year after year, and she was oddly proud of this young girl that was currently showing Clint Coulson up in darts. Hope really did take after her mum, her hair was brown with a hint of red and her eyes attentive and clever, she was confident and demanding but at the same time kind and considerate.

“Would you like something to drink?” Peggy asked.

“Coffee would be nice,” Maria answered and Peggy nodded, vanishing into the kitchen, while Maria went back to watching Hope, or at least that’s what she would have done, had Hope dad not stood in front of her.

“Captain Hill,” he greeted her, offering his hand, “Nice to see you again.”

“And you, Mr. Rogers.” _Barnes-Rogers_ , she reminded herself. She hadn’t gone to the wedding but Peggy had told her all about it and showed her about a million photos and videos. “How are you doing?”

“I’m good, thank you. What about yourself?”

“I can’t complain.”

“That’s good to hear. Hope’ll be pleased to see you as well. She’s been up since five this morning…or so I’ve been told. Driving Pegs and Angie up the walls.”

Maria chuckled, “I don’t envy them.”

“Neither do I,” Steve replied, “I’ve been there.”

It was then that Peggy came back with a cup of coffee and a slice of cake.

“There you go,” she said as she handed both to Maria who accepted it gratefully. “Tell me, Steve,” Peggy continued, turning towards the blond, “Where’s your husband?”

“With your wife, I believe,” Steve answered.

“Of course…where else?”

Maria chuckled lightly into her coffee. It wasn’t just Hope that she was proud of, it was also them…these people that she’d met when they’d only been teenagers, seeing them grow up to be the people they were now.

Steve and Bucky had married about five years ago, so had Peggy and Angie – as far as Maria knew, all four were equally involved in Hope’s life, giving the girl a total of four parents.

Natasha and Clint had broken up after school, now Natasha was engaged to Sam Wilson, and Clint and Pietro had been more or less together for several years.

Tony Stark and Pepper Potts had recently tied the knot and judging by the bump on Pepper’s belly, she was at least four months pregnant, maybe more.

They were adults now, all with their own lives, and all here to celebrate little Hope…speaking of which –

“Hello Captain Hill,” the girl greeted her with a smile that was brighter than the sun.

“Hello young lady, I’ve heard it’s your birthday, is that correct?” Hope nodded proudly. “Well, in that case,” Maria said, reaching into her bag, “I should give you this.” She handed over a small package and watched as Hope excitedly unwrapped a book on dinosaurs, given her latest obsession with the prehistoric creatures.

“Wow!” Hope breathed out, her eyes growing wide, “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.”

It was then that Bucky and Angie emerged from the kitchen and joined them, smiling happily at the girl as she presented her new book before she went on to her friends.

“That was very thoughtful of you, Captain,” Angie said, “She’s been obsessed with becoming a palaeontologist, though god only know where she even learned that word from.”

“Jurassic Park,” Bucky supplied proudly, “She’ll be out and about, digging up bones in no time.”

“After she’s become a Hollywood movie star, and a revolutionist, you mean,” Steve chipped in.

“Naturally.”

The two men snickered while the Peggy and Angie looked half amused, half disapproving, shaking their heads at their friends’ antics.

Watching them all, Maria remembered what Mrs. Carter, Peggy’s and Sharon’s grandmother had said after the trial, “They’re still so young. They still have their whole lives ahead of them but I know my Peggy and if anyone can do it, it’s her. And I met Steve and Bucky and Angie and they’re good people. Such good people. And I’m not worried.”

_And really_ , Maria thought, _there was never anything to be worried about_.


End file.
